Comparison

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 vs Spelling Shed

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1

This app uses a scientifically validated phonics approach to improve spelling skills. It teaches fundamental spelling patterns, sounds, and rules through structured lessons and high-frequency words, aiming to build long-term literacy and confidence.

Highlights
  • 450+ high-frequency words
  • 42 instructional phonics lessons
  • Spelling pattern and difficulty organization
  • Reverse phonics approach
  • Contextual spelling rule hints
  • Letter-by-letter feedback
  • Starting assessment test
Features
Read full description

Scientifically validated as a highly effective approach to improving spelling skills through our phonics approach. A published study revealed that students demonstrated an average spelling improvement of 1.9 grades among children in a classroom setting who regularly used Simplex Spelling over a 18 week period. The largest student improvement observed over the same time period was 4.4 grade levels as assessed by administering the Schonell Spelling Test. Linda Chmiliar, "Improving the Spelling Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities using Apps on the iPad", International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, pp. 962-971. Special Issue Volume 3, 2016. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 teaches a full year of spelling curriculum with over 450 high frequency words divided into 42 lists that are organized by spelling patterns and difficulty levels. Each of the 42 lists comes with a lesson that teaches one of the basic building blocks of spelling in the English language. These basic building blocks include the different phonograms, sounds, and spelling rules. Our spelling lists focus on some of the highest frequency words in the English language to help students establish a base foundation of literacy and confidence with spelling and reading. Students learn a new concept for each lesson building on the skills learned from previous lessons. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 guides the student and acts as a personal spelling coach with every word, while teaching "how to spell" English words. Memorization may be sufficient to pass a spelling test, but it often does not transfer into good long term reading and spelling skills. Our goal with Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 is to not only teach a list of words, but to teach students “how to spell” these words, thus building long term skills that can be used for over 84% of the words in the English language that follow phonetic patterns. Many studies show that students who learn to read through phonics have a higher level of literacy than students who learn to read by using flash cards and the whole word approach. Also, that not all readers are good spellers, but almost all good spellers are also good readers. This is why Simplex Spelling's comprehensive unique phonics approach to spelling really works to create both better spellers and better readers. Note: Now supports both North American and British accents.
 Note: You can not create your own spelling lists. Features: 
 - Over 450 high frequency words to help build literacy. 
 - A starting assessment/placement test. - Review lists. - 42 instructional lessons teach phonics, phonograms, and spelling rules. 
 - A full “reverse phonics” approach that includes sounds made by all the different letter combinations. - Contextually relevant spelling rule hints that help explain “how to spell” English words.
 - Letter by letter feedback system provides immediate feedback. 
 - Guaranteed success on every word. 
 - Support for 40 user accounts. 
 - Export and email student progress reports. - Remembers each user’s progress in every list. - User stats screen to see mastered words and words that require further practice. 
 - Supports both upper and lower case letters.
 - Supports both alphabetic and QWERTY keyboard layouts.
 - Supports US, UK and Canadian English spelling of words. - Featured previously by Apple in New & Noteworthy, What's Hot, Words for the Wise and Spelling & Grammar. - Honorable mention in the 2012 Best App Ever Awards - Best Special Needs App. - AppsforHomeschooling (5/5, Golden App Award, 2011 Readers Choice Award) - Academics' Choice Award - Parents' Choice Award Privacy Disclosure: - No 3rd party ads - Does not share any data - No In-App purchases - Contains child protected links in app to developer's website for additional information, support and teaching tips. - Contains child protected link to developer email support. COPPA Compliant 
https://pyxwise.com/privacy-policy/

About

Spelling Shed

This educational game makes spelling fun and accessible for children worldwide. Designed by teachers, it helps improve spelling, reading, vocabulary, and typing speed through engaging gameplay and customizable support. It offers a unique phonics system and curriculum coverage for comprehensive learning.

Highlights
  • Phonics spelling system
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Speed bonuses and hot streaks
  • OpenDyslexic font support
  • League-based scoring and rewards
  • Curriculum-aligned word lists
  • Avatar customization
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Spelling Shed is the #1 spelling game enjoyed by over 2.5 million children every month! Spelling Shed’s multi-award-winning app is the leading spelling app and has been #1 in several countries. Designed by a team of teachers, our platform enables everyone to succeed with spelling and enjoy the process! Used in thousands of schools across the globe, our games make spelling enjoyable, accessible, and achievable. As well as improving spelling, our app significantly impacts reading ability, vocabulary acquisition, and writing. Created by EdShed, the multi-award-winning EdTech company trusted by over 170,000 educators and enjoyed by millions of children worldwide. Improve Results ‣ Spelling Shed is proven to improve results by up to 80%. ‣ Proven to improve student engagement. ‣ Makes spelling fun, effective, and meaningful. ‣ Reduces teacher workload. Play a variety of games ‣ Feed Hungry Horses, shoot your shot in Penalty Spell-out, take on a Shed Load, or play the original Spelling Bee game. The choice of how you practice spelling is yours. ‣ Avoid the lava and beat Chipper. Squirrel Scurry allows you to play solo or against the computer and choose to reach the top or enjoy endless gameplay. ‣ Includes bonus Bee Keeper and Buzz Words games. ‣ Boost vocabulary acquisition by playing Missing Words or Definitions games. ‣ Choose from 4 different levels: easy, medium, hard, and extreme! Play Hive Games ‣ Hive games are multi-player games that allow you to play with your friends or classmates in real-time. ‣ Create your own hives or join others. ‣ See real-time league statistics between each word spelled. ‣ Includes a range of levels and play options. Empowering Every Learner ‣ Inclusive and accessible for all students. ‣ Includes multi-modal learning options such as audio assistance and being able to read the word before spelling it. ‣ Choose from 4 different levels: easy, medium, hard, and extreme! ‣ Choose the amount of support needed to succeed. ‣ Ensures every learner experiences success to further motivate them. ‣ Gives instant feedback and rewards. ‣ Clear interface reduces cognitive load and makes navigation simple. ‣ Proven to be effective for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. Play anytime, anywhere ‣ Online and offline play enables you to play anytime, anywhere. ‣ Play with classmates from home. ‣ Perfect for in-class practice or home learning. ‣ No in-app downloads required. ‣ Engaging games that fit around busy schedules. 100% Curriculum Coverage ‣ Choose from over 1,000,000 word lists. ‣ Provides full curriculum coverage for spelling. ‣ Subscribers (via website) can use alongside Spelling Shed’s evidence-based spelling curriculum. ‣ Create your own custom word lists. Unique Phonics Spelling System ‣ Choose to spell using graphemes or letters. ‣ Select ‘phonics on’ to spell words using graphemes. ‣ Support phonics learning ‣ Support home learning of phonics. The Science of Spelling ‣ Use alongside Spelling Shed’s evidence-based spelling curriculum for maximum impact. Subscribe via Spelling Shed’s website. ‣ Support phonological knowledge. ‣ Develop orthographical knowledge. ‣ Strengthen morphological knowledge. Celebrate Success ‣ Receive instant feedback. ‣ Honeypots are awarded immediately. ‣ Honeypots are EdShed’s currency, which can be spent on customizing your avatar. ‣ Harder levels and bonuses give more points and honeypots. ‣ More points gives a higher league position in class league. ‣ More points also mean a higher class/group position in school and world leagues!

Screenshots

Simplex Spelling Phonics 14 screens
Spelling Shed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 at 81% against Spelling Shed's 52%. Spelling Shed's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 costs $4.99 and Spelling Shed $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spelling Shed holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spelling Shed has 523 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Simplex Spelling Phonics 1's written reviews are positive against 52% of Spelling Shed's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 ships an update every 5 months, Spelling Shed monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 versus Spelling Shed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplex Spelling Phonics 1Spelling Shed
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.0 (23 ratings)4.3 (523 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews — better51.8% of reviews
Number of ratings23523 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#59 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB154 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPyxwise Software Inc.Education Shed Ltd

Customer experience

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1

All ratings23 ratings
Positive69.6%
Neutral8.7%
Negative21.7%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive81.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative14.0%

Spelling Shed

All ratings522 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative12.6%
Written reviews226 reviews
Positive51.8%
Neutral11.9%
Negative36.3%

Bugs and requests

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Spelling Shed

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and lost progress
  • Compatibility problems with updates
  • Inconsistent performance on different devices
  • Difficulty adding and managing spelling lists

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow customization of spelling lists
  • Improve audio quality and clarity
  • Add more game modes and features
  • Provide better progress tracking

In-app purchases

None

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1

No in-app purchases

None

Spelling Shed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 free?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spelling Shed free?
Spelling Shed costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 or Spelling Shed?
Spelling Shed is rated higher. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 averages 4.0 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Spelling Shed averages 4.3 from 523 ratings.
Do Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 or Spelling Shed have ads?
Neither Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 nor Spelling Shed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 or Spelling Shed?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 ships an update every 5 months, and Spelling Shed monthly. Most recently, Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 was updated on October 26, 2026 and Spelling Shed on October 27, 2026.

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